Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

i Have been interested in aquaponics for about a month and a bit and have tried so many combination to get in to this forum ...
I have been reading nearly all of the forums and alot of the members systems
and searching the net and i have come up with a simple barrelponics which consists of 2 goldfish and 3 small fish (which were given to me so i dont really know there names.)
I am starting small so i chose goldfish i dont need heaters and if i forget to feed for a couple of days them they should be alrite. i cut a 200L food grade barrel down the middle and have made up some jarrah legs and stand, thanks to dad .$30 from paramount browns for all you south aussies. and a 600 L/H
pump from Bunnings. and 100 L of river stone from a dirt and gravel place $15 I think i got ripped off. i Have already had one casualalty and that was a little yabbie ( may have been the cold nights and hungry goldfish)

aha Ryan, now we know why you had problems registering!

You'll just have to make up names for those three fish

When you get a chance, please try to post some pictures for us

good on yas Ryan. You have now beaten Daniel as our youngest member

Welcome Ryan

It was bound to happen eventually...lol

how old was daniel.
and ill have some pics up here in a day or 2 and a ph readying
.I should have read forests forum a week ago about the sand and puttting the towel over the milkcrate because i gave the gravel a quick rinse but there was so m uch extra dirt. and it all went into the water so i gave it a complete water change !!! this is probly which killed my yabbie

ryan, the fines in the gravel do tend to settle out in the growbeds within a short time, so if it happens again, just sit tight for a coupla days. Or, chuck a few of dad's old socks over the return pipe and that will help filter them out

cheers my next system will be perfect i reckon but i still have got extenions in mind for this one

of course! there has to be a NEXT system

Just a couple of pictures showing my first Ap system.
there are 3 things trying to grow in it. Mint, chives/ spring Onions and a cutting of rosemary.

the way you put the pictures go in and they come out in the wrong order.. its all good tho

very good. let us know how the rosemary goes (I've heard a song like that ). Not many people have had success with it in AP.

keep an eye on the mint. It has the potential go go berserk.

yep , i can already see it happening but i just needed to chuck a plant in there which i no had a good chance of growing. i Bought a pond PH tester and it is from 6- 7.5 and mine is always above 7.5 but i have got an idea about Ph i think it would be just over 8 or 8.5 so iam hoping that when the bacteria gets a good start it will lower the ph a bit

Ryan, it appears you have two outlets about half way up the growbed barrel....

If that's the case then not all the water in the growbed will drain from the bed....

I'm concerned that this will lead to a pooling of old, unoxygenated, stagnant water in the bottom of the barrel....

Could result in potential problems with root rot and pyrethrium

Another possible problem may occur if your bed outlets get blocked for any reason.... you'll end up overflowing the growbed and possibly pumping the tank dry if you 're running the pump continously.

I'd recommend... incorporating a stand pipe for overflow and an outlet at the bottom of the barrel with an autosiphon to drain the growbed.

This sucks the oxygen down through the gravel and around the plant roots as the drain action occurs.

hehehehe, would love to see a pic of that mint in 4 weeks